The Kanopus-V-IK remote sensing spacecraft was injected into near-Earth orbit successfully. The lift-off with the Soyuz 2.1a carrier rocket took place on 14 July 2017 at 09:36:49 MSK from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Kanopus-V-IK was placed into sun-synchronous near-circular orbit with the Fregat upper stage. The Lead Operation Control Team at MCC comprising of experts from MCC and the spacecraft development contractors started its mission control.

Kanopus-V-IK is developed and manufactured by the VNIIEM Corporation for Roscosmos State Corporation. The satellite is designed for monitoring of man-made and natural disasters, for observation of agricultural activity, land use, natural resources, and for detection of forest fire seats and large pollutant emissions to the environment.

Kanopus-V-IK will shortly operate in liaison with Kanopus-V No.1 launched in 2012. In addition to these two satellites in accordance with the Roscosmos’s plans, two other Kanopus-V series spacecraft are scheduled for launch for the end of 2017. They will form the Kanopus-V series spacecraft constellation thereby improving the earth’s surface remote sensing.